About hazing

Hazing is not a harmless prank. For some students, the secret initiation rites they undergo when joining campus groups can have a significant negative impact on their physical and mental health. [read more about forms of hazing]

There's no good defense for hazing. Many students who haze defend their practices as important traditions that foster group unity and challenge individuals to grow through adversity. But group bonding and personal growth can also be achieved through non-hazing activities.

Hazing is perpetuated by secrecy. Students who have been hazed are often reluctant to report their experience because they don’t want to get the group in trouble or they fear retribution. Cornell’s hazing website allows students and others to submit confidential reports of hazing to campus officials.